In Time and Space
by Kierseth
Summary: Rena and Ria are orphaned twins scratching a life out on the streets of Haven; until their Gifts emerge. New and frightening, how will the Heralds cope with their powers?
1. Impervious

In Time and Space  
  
By Kierseth and Emerald Flame.  
  
Notice: We are posting the same story under similar titles. Any reviews for either of them will be shared with the other author. Thankies!  
  
Disclaimer: We own Rena and Ria and various other characters. Anything you recognize from Mercedes Lackey's books, we DO NOT own. We don't own the Purple Cat either. That belongs to Shaelesand.   
  
Thoughts :Mindspeech: "Normal Speech"  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Chapter One  
  
The marketplace was packed. Not unusual for late afternoon during Harvest. People were swarming like bees in a hive.  
  
Prime pickings, the girl thought as she sauntered through the crowd. Dressed in a reasonably clean skirt and blouse, she looked like any other farmer's daughter out for a visit to the market. Her copper hair was neatly brushed, pulled back and tied with a piece of twine. She examined the crowd. There were farmer's wives at the tanner's cart and highborn ladies at the Weaver Guild's cart. Drunken men staggered through the crowd and into the doors of the many taverns lining the marketplace. The only Guard she saw was near the other end of the square.  
  
Let's see... she thought, eeling her way near the more expensive items for sale. Lowborn, not worth it. Young highborn man, no, he looks fast. THERE!! a drunken old fop! And in expensive garb. Perfect!! She slunk her way near the older man and bumping into him, she snatched his purse out of his pocket.  
  
"Excuse me," she said to him as she collected herself to walk on.  
  
"Thash all right, schweet cheeks." he slurred in her face. His hand reached out for her. "I don't mind a little bump onesh in a while." He leered at her. She pulled away and tossing her head, stalked off, indignant. The old man shrugged and walked toward a tavern door.  
  
She let out a sigh of relief as she saw him walk into the tavern. She ducked into an alleyway and counted her haul. Four gold pieces, a few silver and a handful of copper. Not bad for one snatch. Added to the rest of the day's total that would be enough for a few days worth of food. She worked her way back to her hideaway. In the poorest district of Haven were many ramshackle buildings just waiting for inhabitants, if you didn't mind the bugs, rats, and mice. She walked jauntily, keeping an eye out for anyone near her. She slipped into a narrow walkway between two buildings and climbed over a crumbling stone wall. She slipped into a dark doorway and crept up a flight of stairs. As she reached the top, an arm reached out of the shadows and grabbed her arm.  
  
She spun and brought up her hands. "Linx!" she exclaimed, hitting him lightly on the arm. "How many times do I have to tell you not too do that!! Sometimes I think I trained you too well." She shook her head.  
  
A boy of about twelve stepped out of the shadows. He grinned, his shock of dark hair shining in the ray of light coming in through a high window. "I got you that time, Ria." He grinned at her. "How much did you get?"  
  
"Enough." she replied. She was never straight about her answers. "Have the other's come in yet?"  
  
"Asper is still out but Wyn came in about half a candlemark ago. Rena's really excited 'bout her haul." The boy nodded, his eyes big in the gloom of the staircase.  
  
"How much did she get?" Ria was curious.  
  
"Enough." Linx answered. His eyes twinkled with mischief.  
  
Ria feigned a blow at him and continued up the stairs. Linx followed.  
  
Linx led the way into the attic, and her band of theives domain. She looked around in satisfaction at the neat and orderly beds and areas she and her sister had organized. The boys, Linx, Wyn, and Asper, had the half without the window, being boys they didn't need light, and the girls, Rena and herself, had the other end that had the window. Rena and Ria were twins and had trained the boys in the art of pickpocketing and stealth. They had a pretty good layout up here, and weren't starved. The money they brought in covered the food needs, plus more and they had respectable clothing on top of their regular rags for if they wanted to go into the Ôbetter' dressed areas. So they wouldn't stand out.   
  
Ria walked briskly, but silently, over to where her twin crouched and seemed to be counting coins.   
  
"Hey, Ria," The crouched girl said without looking.  
  
"Heyla," Ria responded back, "How's your haul?"   
  
"Good. Real good. You?"  
  
"Great. Got us enough for a few daysÐ" Ria stopped at the strange expression that appeared on Rena's now upturned face. It was a smile. A triumphant smile, that her twin had seen only once before. "What-"  
  
"I got enough for a month." Rena grinned at her twin's impression of a fish. "There was this rich looking guy in the middle class area, who was explaining about this new leather to a friend of his. A leather that doesn't cut. He said he had had a purse made out of it." The corners of Ria's mouth turned upward. She knew where this was going. "Well, I couldn't resist. As soon as he started walking, I circled around him, and did the running technique. I started sprinting at him, angling toward an inn, and bumped into him. I cut the bottom of his purse and caught all the change in this other one." She held up a plain leather purse. "I slipped a stone in so he woudn't notice. He would've, if I hadn't, because I got ten pieces. Ten GOLD pieces, several silver, and quite a few copper. Gold. Ten. No wonder he wanted special leather. Well, it didn't work, did it." She began giggling, "The leather just cut! There was no resistance! I almost burst out laughing." With that last statement, she burst out in sudden uncontrollable laughter, setting Ria and Linx off, too. It had been far too long since Rena had laughed like that. Since any of them had.  
  
When they finally stopped, Rena, still grinning, asked Ria how she did and how much she had gotten, with, of course, the automatic warning of no 'enough's.'  
  
"Okay," Ria replied easily, and at her twins want for details she continued, outlining her day and finishing off with the sluirring man in the marketplace. "Well, there was a drunk, and I did the usual; bump and snag. Got four gold, a few silver and a handful of coppers. All told I got off with enough for this week by myself. But no where near what you pulled off! A month's allowence from one dash-and-snatch. That's amazing Rena." She hugged her sister in a fit of happiness. She pulled back and frowned, deep in thought. "How did the bag cut, though? Did you sharpen your dagger this morning? Normally it'll catch a little bit on plain leather, and he said his was cut-proof. Hmmm."   
  
Ria sat for a moment, then shrugged. "Let's go celebrate! Dinner at the Purple Cat anyone?  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Chapter one is done! Yay for us! See that little button down below? It wants to be pushed. It /needs/ to be pushed. So do it a favor and push it. Then type some words. Maybe things related to this story? Please? Pretty Please? Every one who reviews gets a big serving of Whoo! with a side order of Hoo!! and a shiny spork! Review!!! 


	2. In the Potter's Hands

In Time and Space  
  
By Kierseth and Emerald Flame.  
  
Notice: We are posting the same story under similar titles. Any reviews for either of them will be shared with the other author. Thankies!  
  
Disclaimer: We own Rena and Ria and various other characters. Anything you recognize from Mercedes Lackey's books, we DO NOT own.  
  
Thanks to all our reviewers. Sorry for the delay on this chapter. Enjoy!  
  
Thoughts :Mindspeech: "Normal Speech"  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Chapter Two  
  
Rena stopped just around the corner of the building and tweaked her hood farther over her head. The thin light of the moon barely peeked through the clouds, but that was enough to cast a glow on her hair.  
  
Why couldn't I have been born with dark hair? she moaned silently, tugging at the dark hood once again. Her bright copper hair didn't make for a life of subterfuge. It caught all light and reflected it to great effect. Fine in a courtesan, but not for a thief.  
  
She listened intently to the silence inside the building and crept to the door. She tried the handle: locked. She pulled out her small kit of picks and managed the lock in a few breaths. She slid an oiled rag over the hinges a few times to make for a silent entry. Easing the door open as little as possible, she entered the common room and closed the door. She paused for a moment and looked to the right, at the bedroom door. She sharpened her ears, trying to descern any noise. The only thing that came was the snores of a dreaming man. She relaxed a bit.  
  
Asper had told her about this particular residence earlier that night. The young thief had followed the man who lived here home. The gentleman had sold a rather large bundle of fine wolf pelts and had jingled off with a descent sized bag of coin. Asper had followed him to this building and had watched him through the window before heading home; He was more the tracker type than snatch-and-run. At fourteen, he stood head and shoulders above Rena and was solidly built. Strong as an ox, but not very fast. So he left most of the big runs to the girls. Ria had had a big day, with a near miss that had her spooked, so tonight fell on Rena.  
  
She waited until her eyes had adjusted to the darkness, then tiptoed over to the kitchen corner of the common room. Asper had seen the man fiddling with a small box and told her the whereabouts of it. She reached into the upper right-hand cupboard, and feeling around, plucked the box from it's resting place.   
  
Gotcha!  
  
She set it down on the table and inspected the box with her fingers. It was small, a palm's length wide and long and a finger's height. She tried lifting the lid.  
  
Nothing. It was locked. She felt at the lock with her fingers, straining to see in the dim light from the dirty window. It was sophisticated, much to complex for her little picks.   
  
Damn! Now what? she stood still for a minute, racking her brain for ideas. She rubbed her eyes with her fingers and stared at the box. Open! she implored with her thoughts. Nothing. She sighed quietly and dropped her hand to the lid. Her fingers met the wood and she felt it give. She pressed harder at the lid and felt it give more.   
  
What is this? Is the wood rotting? She pressed with all her strength and felt her fingers slide slowly through the wood. It was if the lid had turned to dense clay. There were no hard edges that she could feel, no splinter entered her hand, no sharp spurs of wood to scratch her skin. It took some effort, but her fingers finally broke through into the box. She grabbed one side of the break in the wood with one hand and the other with the other hand and pulled. The gap opened wider, until she could slip her hand into the box. She pulled out a heavy leather purse. It clanked softly as she lifted it, so she swaddled it in a cloth and tucked it into her pocket. Then she turned her attention back to the box.   
  
It looked like someone had turned the lid of the wood to putty. The edges were mounded up: not ragged or square like wood does when it's cut or broken. She put out a finger and pushed at the rounded edge. It gave. She set her hands to the edges of the break and tried to smooth the wood out, as if she were trying to shape clay. It yielded and moved back to cover the gap. She slid her hand along the now-closed lid of the box and felt the bumps smooth out. She peered at it closely in the light from the moon. It looked normal, as if nothing had happened to the lid.   
  
I don't know what's going on here, but thank you! she sent to whatever benevolent being was watching her. She set the box back where she found it, and left the house.   
  
-----  
  
"I pressed down on the wood and it gave!" Rena was back home, Asper, Wyn, Linx and most importantly, Ria were all up, swaddled in blankets to keep off the chill, listening to her recount her latest swipe. It was a rare occurence. Rena never talked about her escapades. She just did them and moved on.  
  
"I thought maybe the wood was rotting and I pushed harder. It didn't feel like rotten wood. It was more like clay, or stiff mud. I managed to get the purse out of the box and the lid was still... pliable. I smoothed the wood back over the lid, Ria. I moulded wood like it was putty. That's not normal!" She looked a little confused, and as Ria studied her sister, a little scared. Ria reached out from her cocoon of blankets to touch her sister's hand.  
  
"The wood was probably rotten, Rena. You probably just pushed the rotten bits back in place and it looked whole in the dim light." Ria, ever the practical one, tried to calm her. "No one can turn wood to clay." Ria rubbed her forehead with her hands, closing her burning eyes.  
  
"Ria! You aren't listening! The lid was whole. There were no gaps in the wood. I felt it." She leaned forward and pounded the floor with her right fist to make her point. But instead of the dull bang everyone expected, there came a muffled thunk. Rena looked down and gasped to see her fist firmly lodged in the wood of the floor. It was as if that area of floor had become viscous. The boys stared in disbelief.  
  
"Ria?!"   
  
"Wha-" Ria began, dropping her hands to her lap and opening her eyes. "What in the Star-eyed...?" She crawled the few feet to her sister and poked at the wood around Rena's hand. It was solid.   
  
"Can you move your hand?" She asked her sister.   
  
Rena nodded and slowly pulled her hand out of the floor. Her fist left an impression in the wood. She reached back out and poked hard at the indentation. Her finger sank into the floor.   
  
"Try to... close it. Like you did with the box." Ria suggested, poking at the indentation along with Rena. It felt solid to her touch and no amount of pushing would allow her finger to move though it.  
  
Rena set both hands on the floor beside the impression and pushed in and down at the same time. The wood slowly moved to cover the impression. When she straightened, it was if nothing had happened to the floor. It looked normal.   
  
"Well." Wyn said, a little stunned by what had happened. "That's new."   
  
Rena looked at him as if he had gone crazy. "I put my hand in the floor and all you say is 'That's new'?" She stared at the boy in wonder and slowly her face began to change. She bit her lip and started to shake. Ria looked at her in concern. When Rena caught a glimpse of Ria's face, she broke and burst out in hysterical laughter.   
  
One by one the rest joined in, laughing like they hadn't done in years. They all fell asleep in a pile on the floor, worn out by their laughter.  
  
____  
  
Well that's Chapter two, and I don't like it. Oh well! Hope you all like it. Push the little button down there and tell me! Good or sucks?   
  
:) 


	3. Big Plans

In Time and Space  
  
By Kierseth and Emerald Flame.  
  
Notice: We are posting the same story under similar titles. Any reviews for either of them will be shared with the other author. Thankies!  
  
Disclaimer: We own Rena and Ria and various other characters. Anything you recognize from Mercedes Lackey's books, we DO NOT own.  
  
Thoughts :Mindspeech: "Normal Speech"  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Chapter Three  
  
"Rena!" Ria's golden voice rang through the ramshackle building as she pounded up the stairs. She appeared in the doorway of the main room, clothed in a descent gown of mint green. There was a large basket slung over her arm, food tumbling out as she slid to a stop.   
  
"Ria! What wrong?" Wyn asked as the boy picked up a wrapped loaf of bread from the floor.   
  
"Is Rena here? I REALLY need -- to talk to her. Has -- she come in yet?" Ria was out of breath. She had been running since she overheard the women at the Baker's Cart talking.   
  
"No. It's only midday. You know she doesn't come in until she has enough for the day." Wyn took the basket from her arm and walked over to the kitchen area. There he started to unpack the foodstuffs. Bread and rolls went into the cabinets wrapped as they were. The cold food went into a closed basket and lowered on a dumbwaiter into the cold basement. The apples went into a large bowl that Wyn set on the table for everyone to snack on.   
  
Wyn wasn't much of a thief, being slight of build and a little on the sickly side, but he managed to pull his weight enough. Rena had come upon him a 3 years before, begging in a dark alley. He had been 6 and the size of a four year old. Rena had taken pity on the boy and had taken him home, after talking to him about his family. His mother had taken ill and died a few weeks before. He had never known his father, nor any other relatives. In their care, he had grown and filled out some. He was still too small for his age, and a little weak, but he had carved a little place in their hearts, as all the boys had.   
  
"Gods forbid she ever comes home a little early." Ria muttered. "Do you know where she was working?"  
  
"I think she said she was going to work the areas around the Cinch and Stirrup. They are having a hinds and hounds tournament and there are bound to be some big winners. Rena was hoping to ease the winners of their heavy purses." Wyn wrinkled his nose in glee. He loved it when his rescuer was happy, and nothing made Rena happier than a good haul.   
  
"I'm gonna try to track her down. If she shows up, don't let her leave, ok? Tell her to stay here. Sit on her if you have to, don't let her leave. I have big news that she needs to hear." And with that, Ria left.  
  
----  
  
Weaving her way around the crowds at the door of the Cinch and Stirrup, Ria managed to slink into a corner and stood on an upturned box. This placed her head over the stooped backs of the men at the small tables, playing it out over hinds and hounds. She caught a glimpse of a familiar head and wedged her way through the masses to the darker corner. She came up behind her sister and hissed in her ear, grabbing her elbow.  
  
"Rena-"  
  
Rena's head whipped around to face her, hand to her dagger. She saw that the touch had come from her sister and managed to still her hand. Another second and she would have lost a finger... Rena thought as she glared at Ria.   
  
"What?" She hissed.  
  
"Come on, I got news." Ria whispered as she guided her out of the tavern.  
  
"Do you have enough for the day?" Ria asked her sister. "I got food for the week, and I have a few coins left over."   
  
"I should probably get another grab before the day is out..." Rena responded, squinting at the sun. "There are enough candlemarks left for another few tries. Why did you drag me out of there? The guy in the red scarf was winning. Both the hinds and hounds tourney, but a mead drinking contest he had gotten into earlier. Prime pickings, I say. Drunk, with a newly filled purse." She scowled at her twin. "What's your news?"  
  
They started to walk home. "It's worth it. I was in the market, buying bread, and I heard these two servants gossiping to the carter's wife. They were talking about their employer, a Noblewoman, rich and out of town for the week. She's in the country, visiting relatives." Ria's eyes sparkled in excitement.  
  
"So? Nobles visit the country all the time! What's so interesting about that?" Rena was getting impatient.  
  
"She had taken almost all of her servants with her. The house will only have a handful of people in it. It's near the statue of Windrider. Right next to the Stable of the Cart and Pony. Fenced close in." Rena was looking at her blankly. "Oh right. And her jewels are being gathered for a big sale. They are all being kept in a locked room. Lightly guarded, since lock is newly made, by that smith that everyone is talking about." Light was starting to dawn of Rena's face as she started to catch what her sister was trying to tell her.  
  
"All the jewels in one place? Lightly guarded, huh? And how are we supposed to get past that guard? We don't fight; we run." Rena's scowl deepened.   
  
"That is what we need the servant women for." Ria's exuberance was not diminished by her sister's dark mood. "One of them is scheduled for a tryst with said guard tonight. When Lady's away, the help will play! There will be no guard tonight! The lock is no problem with that little trick you do.   
  
Rena had worked on her "little trick" and had managed to "reach through" virtually any material she had laid her hands on. Metals were really hard to reach though, but with quite a bit of effort, she had managed to manipulate it. Ria had started in on her about going to the Palace to see if anyone could train her, but Rena had resisted. It wasn't dangerous to anyone, like Firestarting, and she wasn't going crazy, like people with untrained Mindspeech were said to do. So why tempt fate?  
  
"We can make a play tonight and no one will know anything is amiss until the Lady comes back! Nothing can go wrong!" Ria finished.   
  
Rena finally smiled. "It sounds good. Is it worth the risk?"  
  
"The servants were talking about her "lust for shiny baubles", as they called them. I think there will be plenty."  
  
Rena nodded in agreement. "Then we'd better get back home and get some sleep before dark. We don't want to be slow if things go amiss." With that said, they headed home. __ 


	4. The Night

In Time and Space  
  
By Kierseth   
  
Note: Emerald Flame is waaay bogged down with homework and the like, so she's tossed the story in my direction and has taken a place as Muse. So all welcome Emerald Flame, Muse Extraordinaire!  
  
Disclaimer: We own Rena and Ria and various other characters. Anything you recognize from Mercedes Lackey's books, we DO NOT own.  
  
Thoughts :Mindspeech: "Normal Speech"  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Chapter Four  
  
"Ok, you guys. You know the drill. Ria and I will be back before dawn. If we aren't back before then, pack up and get out of here. I don't know if anyone can trace us if we get caught, but I don't want you nabbed as well." The girls were both dressed in dark gray high-necked tunics, tight-fitting trews and caps. It was just before midnight and Rena was going through the Emergency Plans.   
  
"But-" Linx started, but Rena cut him off with a glare. The dark-haired boy was very protective of the girls, and didn't like to think about what would happen if they were arrested. Ria, standing just behind Rena and a little to the side, flicked her glance to Asper and nodded slowly. The tall boy nodded back and crossed his arms. If anything happened, he would be in charge of getting everyone out.  
  
"I mean it Linx," Rena continued, "No waiting around. If we aren't back before dawn, GET OUT. If something goes wrong, and it takes longer than we expect, we'll find you." Linx looked downcast and shuffled his feet a little.   
  
"Linx." Ria said in a soft voice. He looked up. "Everything will be alright. We've done big boosts before and everything came out alright. Don't worry. It's just a precaution." She glanced at Rena before continuing. "If we aren't back, Asper is in charge. Follow his lead." She gave the boys each a quick hug and turned to leave. Rena glanced at the boys passively, gave then all a rare smile and led the way out the door.   
  
Ria glanced back at the rooms as they descended the dark stairs. It looks so warm and cozy; there was nothing she would have liked more than to go back and spend a quiet evening with the boys.  
  
But this is the hand I was dealt, so I'll play it as well as I can. she thought.   
  
Rena led the way back to the statue of Windrider and motioned for her sister to take the lead. Ria took a deep breath and walked up a dark alley, counting her steps as she went. She reached thirty-two, turned right and walked straight to a board fence. "This is it." She hissed to Rena, and laced her fingers. Rena put her soft boot in the cup Ria had made and her twin boosted her over the fence. Rena sat on the edge of the fence and pulled her sister up, bracing herself with her foot. They dropped down on the other side, landing silently on the grass. Ria tilted her head in the direction of the closest window and they made their way to the house and peered in.   
  
The room was dark, but through the open door, the girls could make out a figure of a girl, dressed in the attire of a kitchen servant, white apron and all. She was pacing.   
  
"It looks like her lover hasn't left his post." Rena whispered in her twin's ear. Ria motioned with her finger across her lips, for quiet. They watched the girl pace and grinned when they saw her run across the open doorway and fling herself into the arms of an armed guard. The swarthy man grinned and planted a hearty kiss on the girl's lips. They walked out of sight and the twins made their way to the opposite side of the house.   
  
Ria picked the lock on a dark window and reassured by a slight snick, lifted the window a crack. It scraped against the wood track. Ria froze and winced at the noise. Rena extracted her greasy rag from it's pouch and greased the runner. Ria's arms began to wobble with the strain of keeping the window in place and finally lifted the window open about halfway. The girls slid in silently and crept to the dim wall.   
  
They crawled into the dark hall, and peeking out, rose to their feet. There was no one in sight. Ria looked down the long hallway and picked out the shape of a plain wooden chair in the shadows. It was placed next to a closed door. There was no other furniture in sight.   
  
"That must be it." Ria whispered, and pussyfooted her way down the corridor to the chair. She leaned down and examined the lock with eyes and fingers, using what little light shone through the window.   
  
"Let me feel." Rena said, shifting Ria to the side and probing the lock with her picks. It was a solid lock, newly made, like Ria had said. It seemed to be of iron and had a complex interior. No simple pick, this lock was.   
  
"Yeah, I can't pick this." Rena said. "I have to go through."  
  
Ria stepped back and crossed her arms, glancing up and down the corridor. This was the point of no return. After the door was warped, there was no returning it to it's previous form. No matter how many times Rena tried to smooth an object she had warped, it would always show little telltale signs. Glass would be a little wavy, the grain on wood would be off kilter, and metal would be dulled in the place she passed through.   
  
Rena closed her eyes, set her fingers against the door and pushed. She felt the wood give a bit and start to pull away from her fingers. She pushed harder and fell forward as her arm went through the door. She felt around for the latch on the lock and grinned as she unlocked it. Pulling her arm back, she smoothed the wood back into place.  
  
Ria walked forward and slowly turned the knob. She bounced a little on the balls of her feet as the door opened. Rena poked her head in the room and looked around.   
  
It was bare stone with one small, high, barred window and had a number of tables lined against the wall. Here and there were trunks and wooden boxes, lidded tightly.   
  
"Jackpot!" Rena whispered as the girls entered the room and shut the door. Ria walked to the closest table, while her twin went to the back of the room.  
  
Ria opened the trunk and saw a shining pelt. Reaching out her hand, she felt the smooth fur with a light touch and lifted it out of the trunk. It was ermine and the softest thing she had ever encountered. She wrapped it around her neck for a moment, then sighed and dropped it back into the box. Furs were expensive, but were hard to sell on the black market. Jewels were easier; metals could be melted down, gems could be reset. It was just easier that way. She moved on to the next trunk.  
  
As Ria lifted the lid of the second trunk, she heard Rena gasp in amazement.   
  
"Ria! Get over here!" She hissed. Ria left her trunk unopened and crossed to Rena's box. She peered over her sister's shoulder and felt her eyes grow wide.  
  
It was filled with jewelry. Gold necklaces set with diamonds and rubies, rings of shining silver, earrings with giant pearls, every precious stone they had ever heard of was present in that trunk. Ria reached out a hesitant hand and picked up a small ring of gold, set with bloodstone.  
  
"Just look at this stuff! We could live off of one of these for a month!" Rena held up a heavy collar of moonstone and filigreed silver. She dropped the collar and plucked out a set of drop earrings. She held the gold and emerald drops to her ears and asked, "How do these look?"  
  
"Very beautiful, my dear." came a silken voice from the doorway.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Mwaa ha ha ha!! Cliffhanger for you all!! I'll try to get the next chapter out as soon as possible, but for now.... ^^  
  
I've noticed a startling thing in my writing: I haven't given enough recognition to the reviewers. So here guys, Thanks to all!  
  
Kel- This is next! ^^  
  
Leleni- Thank you! And these are new powers. I didn't!! *grin*  
  
Morwen- Thanks to you too. I did read Take a Thief, although it was a while ago and I should read it again.  
  
Banadar- I will!  
  
silvervine- Rena can manipulate matter, Ria can stop it. Thankies!  
  
Darkfyre- Yep!!  
  
Fireblade K'Chona- ^^  
  
Hexe- O.O Wow! That is one of the best complements I've ever gotten! Thank you so much!!  
  
Stee- Contiunued!   
  
charlene- Did!  
  
Chibigreen- Here it is!  
  
Q Jackson- I write like I talk; in looong rambling sentences!  
  
desert angel- and you would know this how? ;) 


	5. Frozen

In Time and Space  
  
By Kierseth   
  
Disclaimer: Emerald Flame and I own Rena and Ria and various other characters. Anything you recognize from Mercedes Lackey's books, we DO NOT own.  
  
Muse: Emerald Flame  
  
Thoughts  
  
:Mindspeech:  
  
"Normal Speech"  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"Very beautiful, my dear."  
  
The thin, dark figure took a step into the room and shut the door. It snapped it's fingers and light blazed from candle sconces set about the room. With the light came the heavy scent of some spice, heavy and cloying.  
  
Squinting in light, Ria could now make out the figure. It was a woman. Her features were sharp and she looked rather haughty. She was dressed in a long gown of dark red velvet, simple in it's lines, but of very fine fabric. Her dark hair was concealed in the hood of her black cloak, stunning against her porcelain skin. She had a ruby the size of a robin's egg strung on a fine gold chain as a necklace. A matching ring perched on a long white finger.  
  
Rena dropped the earrings into the trunk at her words and moved into a defensive position. Ria grabbed her dagger from her belt and took a fighting stance, unconsciously mirroring her sister's pose.  
  
"Now. Did I say something amiss?" the woman asked, voice dripping honey, "There is no need to get all huffy. I would just like to know who is slinking around my jewels and furs in the middle of the night."  
  
Ria stole a quick glance at her twin. Rena was very pale and looked as if she would faint. What is wrong with her? Ria thought. Rena looked over at her sister as if she had heard her. She gave a little shake of her head and looked back at the woman. Ria did the same.   
  
"Who wants to know?" Rena growled.   
  
"Well, it just wouldn't be right for a lady to divulge her name to common thieves." The woman responded. "And that's what you are, isn't it? Common thieves. Bottom-dwellers. People who leech off of others. Steal what they've work hard for." She laughed. "Rather like me in that respect."  
  
Ria narrowed her eyes. She may be a thief, but she didn't like being talked to as if she were scum. "In what respect, Madam?" She said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.   
  
The woman seemed to grow darker. Her face deepened as if a shadow had settled upon it. She tilted her head slightly to the right side and started to sway as if dancing. Her eyes narrowed to sleepy slits. Rena froze, eyes locked with the woman's.  
  
"Rena!" Ria hissed. The girl payed no attention. Her gaze was locked to the dark woman's.   
  
"What are you doing to her?" cried Ria. taking a step forward.   
  
The woman stopped swaying and her head whipped around. She stared at Ria for a moment, then turned back to Rena. she stared swaying again, this time also addressing Ria in a slow, sing-songy voice.  
  
"To tell you the truth, my darling, I am draining her. She has enormous magical potential and I need it. I was hoping someone would take the bait. A hoard of jewels in a lightly guarded room. The guard slinking off to satisfy his needs with the scullery maid. And the lady of the house off with her country cousins. Isn't it just delicious? One of my better tales. And it worked out better than I planned. " She stopped again, turning to stab Ria with a glare. "Two for one. Quite a deal, don't you think? Hang on a moment, dear, while I finish with your sister." The woman turned her concentration back to Rena.  
  
Ria felt her skin grow hot. No one messed with her sister. She reached her hand towards the woman and screamed "Stop!"   
  
And everything did. The candles stopped flickering, the woman froze where she swayed. The only thing that didn't stop was Rena. She broke out of her stupor and dropped limply to the ground.  
  
"Rena!!" screamed Ria as she flew to her unconscious twin's side and gathered her hand in hers. Rena moaned softly, slowly opening her eyes. She was pale and cold as ice. Ria chafed her hands gently. "Rena?" she said, keeping one eye on the "frozen" woman.   
  
"Ria? What happened?" her twin asked thickly, as if her tongue was too big for her mouth.   
  
"She-" Ria motioned to the woman "-was draining you. What ever that means."   
  
Rena sat up slowly and stared at the woman, blinking dully. "What happened to her?"   
  
Ria flushed. "I flung out my hand and told her to stop." She gulped. "She did."   
  
"She just... stopped?" Rena looked around the room. "Look at the candles! They've stopped moving." Rena stood, swaying a little and grabbed one of the gold and emerald earrings from the trunk. She let it drop and was a little shocked when it hung in midair. "I think-" Rena said slowly "you've stopped time."  
  
"Good for me." Ria said sarcastically. "We have bigger worries. We should get out of here before time 'goes' again." She grabbed her twin's hand and slipped around the woman and out the door, squeezing between the trunks to avoid brushing Madam. They slid out the same window they came in and slipped over the fence.   
  
They stopped in a dark alley not far from the market to catch their breath. Ria bent over, gasping and Rena leaned against an inn's wall.   
  
"That... was... not good." Ria gasped between gulps of air. She reached up to push away her hair.  
  
Rena grabbed her hand. "What is that?" She demanded.  
  
Ria gave her a strange look, then opened her hand.   
  
She was still clutching the bloodstone ring.  
  
~*~*~ Review's Response Time!!  
  
Sasha- Thank you so much!  
  
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Darkfyre- ^ That was the girls' captor! :)   
  
More to come! Next: The girls get some... unusual visitors! 


	6. Chosen

In Time and Space  
  
By Kierseth   
  
Disclaimer: Emerald Flame and I own Rena and Ria and various other characters. Anything you recognize from Mercedes Lackey's books, we DO NOT own.  
  
Muse: Emerald Flame  
  
Thoughts  
  
:Mindspeech:  
  
"Normal Speech"  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Rena woke with a start. Weak light was trickling through the broken boards barring the high window, illuminating the sleeping figures in the room. Wyn, Asper, Linx Rena took a quick, automatic head count, Where is Ria?  
  
A crash came from the kitchen and Rena was out of bed and across the floor, side by side with a sleepy-eyed Asper. Linx had jumped to his feet and was currently standing on his bed.   
  
"Great gryphons!" He shouted, "What is she DOING?"  
  
Rena raced around the partition to find a chagrined, night-gowned Ria staring at a broken jar at her feet.   
  
"Morning." She said, lips taut to hide a sheepish smile.  
  
"Ria. What. Are. You. DOING?" Rena asked, seething a little. It had been a late night, and a rather unnerving one.   
  
"I wanted to try my new power. I tried to stop the jar from falling. Freeze it in midair like I did with the candles last night. It worked- for a while." She looked down at the pieces of pottery at her bare feet.   
  
"For a while. How long did it hold?" Curiosity overcame Asper and he picked up a shard of the jar.   
  
"Let's try and see." Ria held out her hands and at Asper's throw, extended her fingers at the shard. It froze.   
  
Unfortunately, so did Asper.  
  
Plucking at the frozen boy's shirt, Rena said, "Umm, Ria? I don't think that's going to work."  
  
"Thanks Rena. I couldn't figure that out for myself." Ria's voice dripped with sarcasm. She shook her hands at the boy and he unfroze along with the pottery shard, which joined it's fellows on the floor, shattering into smaller bits. She sighed. "Well, I guess we know the limitations to my power."   
  
"It didn't work?" Asper was disappointed.   
  
"No, it worked. I just froze you as well."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yep."  
  
"Wow!"  
  
"What?" Linx and Wyn had come around the partition and were standing behind Rena and Asper, rubbing their gritty eyes.   
  
"Ria froze me!"   
  
"Really? Freeze me!" Wyn perked up.   
  
"No. I don't know what all it does and until I do, I'm not freezing anyone." She paused. "Intentionally, that is."  
  
Rena walked across the weathered slats of the kitchen floor and picked up a flat piece of board that served as a dustpan, and a bundle of straw tied with twine.   
  
"Here," she handed the implements to her sister, "Better gather up the pieces before we cut our feet. I'm going to go get dressed."  
  
She ducked around the partition and ducked behind the fabric screen that served as a dressing room for the girls. She quickly dressed in a dark gray skirt and light green tunic and pulled her coppery hair into a bun at the nape of her neck. She slipped on her boots and grabbed a small sack, which she tied under her skirt.   
  
Walking back into the abandoned kitchen, she grabbed a loaf of bread and a wedge of cheese from the dumbwaiter.   
  
"Breakfast?" she called into the empty kitchen and smiled at the herd of boys that assailed her.  
  
"Hey, hey! There's enough for all of you, as well as Ria and I. So lay off." She smacked hands and glared at Asper when he managed to grab a bite of cheese. Ria emerged from the stairwell, hair sopping from her cold shower from the rain barrel on the roof.   
  
"Want some breakfast?" Rena asked her twin, handing her a piece of bread.   
  
"Sure."  
  
They all sat and ate their breakfast in relative silence, only punctured by outbursts from the boys squabbling over one chunk of cheese or another. Wyn cleaned up the remains after they were all done and Linx and Asper went out to see what mischief they could scrounge up.   
  
Ria stood and stretched, her hair nearly dry. "I think I'm going to go for a walk. I'm not going to hit anyone, unless they're just asking for it, but it seems really stifling in here. I'll be back in a while."   
  
"Ok. I think I'll go out too. I want to go see if that big oaf is still staying at the Stirrup and Cinch. He was too easy to play." She answered, mentioning the man she had taken at a game of Hinds and Hounds, linking her fingers and cracking her knuckles. "Are you going to stay here Wyn?"   
  
"Yes." Answered the small boy.  
  
"Ok. If you do go out, remember to set the alarms. We'll be back later."   
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Ohhh. Note to self: never arm wrestle a missionary who carries an ax Rena moaned to herself, rubbing her right arm with her left hand as she walked into the alley that lead to her home. Her hair was escaping from it's bun, trailing copper threads down her neck. She turned the corner of their little building and stopped dead in her tracks.   
  
"Ria?" she said softly. Her twin was standing stock still in front of a tall, slender white horse, tacked in blue. No, not a horse, Rena told herself with a twinge of envy, A Companion  
  
"What in the nine HELLS is going on!?" She exploded.   
  
The slim Companion raised it's head at Rena's outburst, eyes widening in surprise. Ria jumped at the sudden noise, turned and smiled at Rena, happiness shining through her eyes.   
  
"Rena? This is Alanar. She's Chosen me." Ria raised her hand and stroked Alanar's white satiny cheek as it lay over her shoulder.   
  
Rena was speechless. Her sister had been Chosen. Her twin. She was going to leave and live at the Collegium and Rena would be left on the streets, thieving just to survive. Her head reeled.  
  
:Umm... No. That's not going to happen.:  
  
Rena's eyes grew wide and darted from side to side as a deep resonant Voice sounded in her mind. She felt the brush of something prickly against the back of her bare neck.   
  
:Are you going to turn around and greet me or what?:  
  
The shellshocked girl slowly turned her head and promptly fell into a sea of fathomless blue.   
  
The Voice rang in her head once more. :Rena, I am Naison. I Choose you.:  
  
"Ehhh.... wha-... you...you Choose me? Why?" Rena couldn't believe it. Her mind was a buzz of random thoughts and phrases. Her sister, she could believe being Chosen. Ria was sweet and kind and everything she thought a Herald should be. But her? Never. She was headstrong and stubborn and confrontational- no. It couldn't be.   
  
:You are meant to be a Herald. I don't know why, but you are my Chosen. And frankly, there isn't much you can do about it.: His voice danced with humor.  
  
"Rena? Is that...?" Her twin's voice trailed off for a moment as she looked at Alanar. "You've been Chosen?" Her voice raised in pitch and broke a little on the last syllable.   
  
"I guess so." She replied, a little dazed. "This is Naison." Her Companion gave her a little shove and herded her to Ria and Alanar. As they walked, Ria surveyed her sister's Companion.  
  
He was tall and very stocky. Deep in the chest with a large head and white feathers on his feet. His silver tail waved out behind him like a banner as he pranced slightly behind her twin. Eyes of dark blue sparked in his long white face. A slim horizontal scar marred the white skin under his left ear.  
  
"It is good to meet you, Naison." Ria said to the stallion.   
  
:It is nice to make your aquaintence Ria. Hello Nari.: The stallion responded to Ria, ignoring Silence, then greeted the slender white mare at her side.  
  
:Hullo Naison. Fancy meeting you here.: Alanar tilted her head coquettishly.   
  
:Who is watching Lynnes?:   
  
:Marienne.:  
  
The twins stood and stared at their Companions, trying to follow the turn the conversation had taken.   
  
:Oh.: Alanar said, realizing their plight. :Sorry. You both should gather your things.:  
  
:You're coming with us tonight.:   
  
"But what about the boys? We can't leave them alone!" Ria objected. If there was one thing she would not do, it would be to leave the boys.  
  
:Hmm. Bring them along. I'm sure they can find asylum at the Collegium. We are always in need of stablehands.: Alanar proposed.   
  
"I guess that would work...." Rena sounded a little skeptical. "Won't the Heralds be a little... surprised? I mean, we-" she motioned to Ria and herself, "- aren't the straightest arrows in the quiver."  
  
Naison looked deep into her eyes. :It doesn't matter. Choice is never wrong.:   
  
~*~*~ Review Response Time!!  
  
Crimson- Thanks for the complement. Close, but no dice. You do get a cookie though! :)  
  
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Muah ha ha ha ha!!  
  
Sorry. ^^  
  
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Next: The girls arrive at the Collegium. 


	7. Arrival

In Time and Space  
  
By Kierseth   
  
Disclaimer: Emerald Flame and I own Rena and Ria and various other characters. Anything you recognize from Mercedes Lackey's books, we DO NOT own.  
  
Muse: Emerald Flame  
  
Thoughts  
  
:Mindspeech:  
  
"Normal Speech"  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"Where are we supposed to go?" Wyn asked Ria as they walked down the alleyway. The girls had gathered their things and told the boys what had happened. They stood shocked for a moment until Linx had raced down the stairs to the street and seen the waiting Companions. The group was now making their way to the Collegium, Naison and Alanar carrying the packs.  
  
"That's a good question" Ria replied. "Where do you think they will go Alanar?"  
  
:They will probably be put to work at the Palace. Linx would make a good page, being as quick as he is, Wyn will probably be put to work as a stablehand, being gentle and Asper would fit right in assisting the Weaponsmaster.:  
  
Ria relayed Alanar's guesses and listened as the boys speculated over their new jobs.   
  
:How are you holding up Rena?: asked Naison, swinging his head around to nuzzle the strangely silent girl.  
  
:I'm.. I'm still in shock, I think. I don't know if I'm right for this. Who's going to accept a thief? Or better yet, a group of them?:  
  
:They will accept you Rena. All of you. There have been thieves-turned-Heralds before. You will be fine.: He turned to Alanar, who had been listening in, and tightened his Mindspeech. :I don't know how the Heralds will react to their powers, though. We've had a few rare gifts before, like Firestarting, but nothing like this. Time and matter manipulation? This is a whole new kettle of fish.:  
  
:I agree.: Alanar said, casting one sapphire eye back at her Chosen. :Ria's power is going to create quite a stir. Rena's as well. Just think of what they can do!: Alanar's eyes sparkled with the possibilities.   
  
:The Collegium is going to flip, you know.:  
  
:I know. But after they figure out how to train these girls and get their Gifts in hand, they will be a force to reckon with.:  
  
:That is what I'm worried about.: Naison tilted his head at Rena, walking woodenly alongside him  
  
~*~*~  
  
Jaylen, the Guard on duty at the Gate, squinted his eyes at the approaching group.   
  
"Hey Jorje! Come look at this!"  
  
"What?" The blond man leaned against the wall and yawned. The warm sun was making him sleepy.   
  
"It looks like Naison and Alanar are back. With a group."  
  
"What?" Jorje stood straighter, watching the group approach.   
  
Naison and Alanar walked up to the confused guards and stopped.  
  
:Tell them who you are and that you have been Chosen by Naison and I.: Alanar told the girls.  
  
Rena stepped forward. "Umm, hi. I'm Rena and this is my sister Ria," she motioned to her twin, "we've been Chosen by Naison and Alanar."   
  
"And who are they?" Jorje asked Rena, stepping forward and looking the boys up and down, taking in their ragged garments.   
  
"This is Linx, Wyn and Asper." she explained, putting a hand on each of the boy's shoulders in turn. "They are our... charges. We ask that they be allowed to stay with us."  
  
"I don't know." Jaylen said slowly. He didn't want to let a group of ruffians and street urchins into the Palace grounds, but they were accompanied by Companions. It was too much. "I will accompany you all to the Collegium. Jorje, I'll send Aron to stand for me." He turned and walked under the archway, casting curious glances at the strange party following him. This was most unusual.  
  
The group followed the Guard in silence. Rena's head was awash with emotions. How were the Heralds to react? She had never heard of anyone having powers of their type before. Were they going to be turned away? Thought of as freaks? Would the boys be allowed to stay? She shook her head and set her chin. No one would turn away the boys. And if they did, she'd go with them. They weren't going to be turned away, with no one to take care of them.   
  
Ria was in awe. The grass was thick and green, the paths were covered in small rocks and bordered by larger ones, and there were small shaped shrubs lining the paths. The buildings rose high above their heads, majestic and proud, soaring into the sky.   
  
:That is the Healer's Collegium. The Palace is next, with the Bardic and Heraldic Collegia on either end.: Alanar informed her.   
  
:Their beautiful!: Ria told her.   
  
:I know. You should see Companion's Field.: With that reminder, Alanar broke direct contact with Ria and Sent out for Marienne.   
  
:Mari? How's Lynnes?:  
  
:He's fine Nari. Calm down. Your Call can't be ignored. Take care of your Chosen first. Then come and check on your son. He's playing tag with Sonovan right now.: Marienne Sent her an image of the colts chasing each other.   
  
Alanar heaved a sigh. :All right.:  
  
Ria was puzzled. She had felt Alanar withdraw from her mind and heard her heave a sigh.   
  
:Are you all right Alanar?:   
  
:I'm fine Ria. I was just checking on my son.:  
  
:You have a son?:  
  
:Yes. His name is Lynnes. He's almost a year old and this is the first time I've left him for so long.:  
  
:I'm sure he's fine, Alanar. Marienne is very capable. She has a son Lynnes's age, doesn't she?: asked Naison.  
  
:She does, Sonovan. They're playing tag right now.:   
  
:So don't worry.: He turned to Ria. :This is her first child. She's a little overprotective.:  
  
Alanar just snorted and flicked her tail in his face.   
  
Ria smiled at their antics. Meanwhile, they had walked around the corner of Healer's and looking ahead, Ria caught sight of a large stallion.   
  
:That is Ison. His Chosen, Forie, the Head of the Collegium will be showing you around the Collegium and is the one you should ask about Linx, Wyn and Asper.: Alanar told Ria.  
  
They walked up to Ison and a middle-aged, brown-haired woman who had emerged from the door behind Ison (:That's Forie.: Naison whispered) and halted, the boys hanging back, unsure of what to do.   
  
Jaylen gave a quick salute. "Ma'am? This is Rena and Companion Naison, and Ria and Companion Alanar. They've just been Chosen."  
  
"Why did you feel it necessary to leave your post to escort them here?" Forie asked, a little miffed.   
  
Jaylen leaned in close. "They have... guests... with them."   
  
Forie poked her head out around Naison's rump and caught sight of Linx's dark hair.   
  
"You." She pointed at the boys. Linx poked his head slowly out from his hiding spot. "Come here."  
  
Linx walked slowly up to the Head of the Collegium, but before he reached her, Asper jumped in front of him. "What is it you want, Herald?" he asked slowly.  
  
Forie fumed, eyes narrowing. "Who are you? Why did you accompany these Trainees?"   
  
Rena jumped in, stepping in front of Asper and catching Forie's attention. "We asked them to come. I'm Rena and this is Ria. We are the boys' guardians, so to speak."  
  
"Explain."  
  
"We found them on the streets and... took them under our wing. We are all orphans."   
  
"And now you don't know what to do." She eased a little.   
  
"Right. Could they stay here with us? They would work, of course, but we can't leave them." Rena tried to keep the pleading tone out of her voice but failed miserably.  
  
"I don't know. I will have to check with Heria, the Housekeeper. She will know if anyone needs another hand." Forie turned to Ison for a moment, then turned back.   
  
"Thank you Jaylen. I can take it from here." She dismissed the Guard with a little wave of her hand, and turned back to the girls. "Well, anyway, welcome to the Collegia and congratulations on being Chosen. Naison, Alanar, I can show them around. You too Ison." At Alanar's hesitance, Forie made shooing motions with her hands. "Go Nari! Ria will be well taken care of." She watched the trio head to the Field and turned back to the group.   
  
"Well, this is a fine kettle of fish. Let me introduce myself. I am Forie, the Head of the Collegium. I think I will take you boys to meet Heria." she eyed their clothes and waistlines. "We'll see what we can do to find you some clothes and get some food into you all." The boys broke out into happy grins and Ria smiled at them. Rena narrowed her eyes a bit, still not fully trusting the woman.   
  
Forie turned and ushered them into the door behind her. It lead into a long hallway, wooden floors gleaming, warm oak walls lining either side of the passageway, with doors at various intervals. She led them down the hall, pointing at doors and giving a running commentary. "This is the library, this door leads to the Herald's Wing, this one to the Palace. Those stairs lead to the Trainee's Wing, where you, Ria and Rena will be staying. The boys will be with the rest of the help down near the kitchens. Follow me and I will take you there."   
  
They passed the stairs that led to the Trainee's Wing and walked down a side corridor. She knocked on a door, opened it and poked her head inside. "Heria?" she called.  
  
"Yes?" came the bright answer.   
  
"Can you come out here? And bring your book."   
  
Forie pulled her head back out of the doorway and a short, rotund woman came through, carrying a tomb of a book. Ria's eyes grew wide at the size of the text.  
  
"Hello. Are you all new Trainees?" Heria asked.   
  
"No." the Head replied. "The girls are and we will need to get them some uniforms, but the boys are their charges. Are there any positions open? Pages, stable hands, that sort?"   
  
"Let me see." Heria flipped through her book with alarming speed. "Ahh here. Salel can use a hand in the Salle, cleaning and repairing and the like, Perrie could use another page or two and let's see... Yes, I think that might do. Uril needs another set of hands in the stable since Eli left. You, would do well with Salel," she pointed at Asper, "you with Perrie," pointing at Wyn, "and you can go with Uril." pointing at Linx. "Do you like horses?" she asked Linx.  
  
"I don't know. I've never been around them before."   
  
"Did you like Naison and Alanar?" Ria asked him.   
  
"Oh yes!"  
  
"He'll do fine." Forie said brusquely. "Thank you Heria. Could you send notes to Salel, Uril and Perrie and tell them that the boys will be waiting in the kitchen? I'll send the girls to you after they have some food." She swept off and the little group followed, Linx giving a little wave back to Heria.   
  
They went through another door and led them into the kitchen. Rena's drooled a bit at the smell of freshly baked bread. "Hullo Quinn. We have some more." the woman said to the big man in the white smock, sleeves rolled back to reveal meaty forearms.   
  
"Hullo Forie. Greetings to you younglings." He boomed in a deep voice. "Need a little refreshment?" He placed a plate of sliced meats and cheeses on the large table, along with two loaves of bread, some cups and a pitcher of juice. The boys fell to while Forie looked on. Rena picked up a slice of meat and inspected it closely before slowly chewing off a corner. Ria watched her sister intently and only took a slice of cheese after her twin nodded to her.   
  
:They are so cautious!: Forie Spoke to Ison.   
  
:They are off the streets, For. They have a right to be cautious.: he reminded her.  
  
She sat on a stool and sipped a cup of tea while the little group polished off the food.   
  
"Are you all ready?" Forie asked when they had neatly stacked the cups and platters. Ria nodded. "Now is where we part ways. Rena and Ria, come with me, Asper, Wyn and Linx, you stay here and wait until Salel, Perrie and Uril send for you." The little group sat still for a moment, then slowly got up.   
  
"I'll miss you Ria." Wyn said in a small voice.   
  
"I'll miss you too Wyn. But we aren't going far. You all will be able to see us whenever you want. I promise." The small boy impulsively hugged the girl. She stroked his hair and slowly pried his arms away from her waist.   
  
"Wait with the others and be good. Don't make any messes for Master Quinn."  
  
"I'm not Master Quinn, little lady, I'm just Quinn." the beefy man said.  
  
"Quinn then."  
  
"Linx, stay out of trouble, Asper watch him." Rena warned, giving Asper a slap on the back and tweaking Linx's hair.   
  
"Come on girls." Forie said, walking them out of the kitchen. Rena looked back and watched as the door closed on the three boys she had come to love.   
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Reviewer Response Time!!  
  
Terryie: It does, doesn't it? I'm still trying to figure out which one to use!  
  
Fireblade K'Chona: Confused, but I'm glad you like. I think...  
  
Arrowblade: Thank you so much! As a matter of fact, there is. etcetera-cat wrote a fic for a friend of ours using characters from my Valdemar RPG Shifted Silver. It's a AU Valdemar where there are powers like Ria and Rena's all over. Feel free to join. http://www.avidgamers.com/shiftedsilver  
  
Katsiebee: Don't you hate that? This one went up sooner than I expected though.  
  
Next: The girls settle in and Forie is in for a big surprise. 


	8. Settling In

In Time and Space  
  
By Kierseth   
  
Disclaimer: Emerald Flame and I own Rena and Ria and various other characters. Anything you recognize from Mercedes Lackey's books, we DO NOT own.  
  
Muse: Emerald Flame  
  
Thoughts  
  
:Mindspeech:  
  
"Normal Speech"  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Ria followed Rena and Forie out of the kitchen. Her heart was heavy. She knew that the boys would be well taken care of, but they had been her and Rena's responsibility for so long, it was hard to give that up.  
  
"Will they be treated well Forie?" Rena asked, her question following Ria's thoughts.  
  
"Of course. They will have warm beds and food on a regular basis. They will have to work for it, but they will be treated fairly." Forie assured them. "Now, let's get back to Heria and get you fitted for your uniforms."  
  
"Uniforms? New clothes?" Ria asked, a little squeak of excitement escaping her.   
  
"What else? You are Herald Trainees now. You have to look the part." Forie led them back down the corridor to Heria's room, pointing out her office when they passed. She knocked and upon receiving a call of "Enter!" she opened the door and ushered the girls in.   
  
They entered a room full of fabric. Yards of linen and leather in several colors littered the room. A large table with the pieces of what appeared to be a Healer Trainee's tunic sat in the middle of the room. A measuring string hung on the wall, along with parchment patterns and shelves of trim. Books, along with Heria's giant ledger, sat in a large bookcase on the wall next to the large window. On the other side, a large wardrobe stood, one door open to show finished tunics and trews. "Hello girls. Did you have some food?" Heria asked, standing up from her stool next to the table.  
  
"Yes, it was wonderful." Ria said, walking forward to squeeze Heria's proffered hand.   
  
"Good. Well, let's get you measured for your uniforms. Do you know how to sew?" Heria plucked the string from the wall and started measuring Ria's shoulders. Rena stood back along the wall with Forie, watching the scene.   
  
"A little. Nothing like this though." Ria said, plucking at the half finished tunic.   
  
"It's simple enough, once you know the pattern. What about you?" Heria shot a glance at Rena, writing a measurement on a piece of parchment and moving her string along Ria's side.   
  
"Not really." Rena answered simply. "Ria did most of the sewing. I can patch."   
  
"All right. I will put you down for sewing, Ria, for your chores. Can you cook Rena?"  
  
"No. I'm more active. I like to move."   
  
"Can you patch leather?"  
  
"Yes. It isn't neat, but the patch normally holds."  
  
"That settles it. I will send you to Salel. He'll be happy to have two new hands to help him out in the Salle." Heria moved the string again and measured Ria's thin waist. "Are you both the same size?"  
  
"For the most part." Ria answered. "Rena is a little taller and broader in the shoulder than I am. Other than that, we are the same."  
  
"I noticed. I didn't know who was who until Rena spoke." Forie piped up. "We will have to keep a sharp eye on you two. It will be too easy to mix you up."  
  
Rena shot a sly glance at Ria, who shot back a sharp one. Rena sighed dramatically.   
  
Heria stood up from a kneeling position, measuring Ria's leg length and checked her measurements. She motioned for Rena and Ria to swap places and took Rena's shoulder and leg measurements.   
  
"All right." Heria said, checking her measurements one last time and crossing to the wardrobe. "I think I have some uniforms made up that will fit you both." She swung open the other door and flipped through the sets of clothes, arraigned by color. She looked at the tags attached to the sets and pulled down four sets of gray uniforms.   
  
"Come her and I'll fit you with some boots." Heria knelt on the floor again and pulled out a bin fill of sets of boots, pairs laced together. The girls were fitted and piled with uniforms, boots, both soft-soled for indoors and hard for outside, as well as new underwear, cloaks and robes.   
  
"I think that will hold for a few days while I make some more up.' Heria stood looking at the laden girls, hands on her ample hips.   
  
"Good. Come on girls; I'll show you to your rooms. Or would you rather share a room?" Forie held the door open for the girls to walk through. They smiled back in thanks to Heria as they left the room.   
  
Ria hefted her pile a little higher in her arms. "I don't know. I'd prefer to share a room, I think. We're more used to it."   
  
"I agree." added Rena.   
  
"I think that can be arraigned." The mousy-haired woman led them down the hall and up the stairs to the Herald Trainee's wing. She walked them down the bright windowed hall and pointed out rooms again. "This is the bathing room. Towels and soap are in there. Ahh. Here we are." Forie stopped in front of a room three doors down from the bathing room. "This will be your room. The last Trainees in here graduated only a moon ago. It should be still tidy." She swung open the door and motioned them inside.  
  
The girls walked in a few steps and stopped to take it all in. It was sparse. There were two narrow beds, one under the windows on the far end of the room, and the other closer to the door. Plain trunks stood at the end of each bed and narrow wardrobes against the walls near the head of each bed. A large empty bookshelf stood between the beds. On the other wall was a large hearth, cold now, but laid with kindling for a fire, with two overstuffed chairs on either side, a small table set next to each of them. A full-length mirror stood next to the window, catching the light. There were gray plain curtains hanging on the windows and matching bed linens embroidered with the Valdemar seal on each bed. The walls were an unassuming white. That was it.   
  
"Well, don't just stand there. Who wants which bed?" Forie inched all the way into the room and closed the door. She walked over to the window and threw it open to let in the fresh air.   
  
"I'll take the one closest to the door." Rena said, plunking her armload down on that bed.   
  
"I guess that leaves me the one under the window." Ria sat down on the bed, clothing in her lap.   
  
Forie crossed to Rena and started shaking out a tunic. "Let's get your clothes hung up. I'll leave you alone to go bathe and get dressed in your uniforms. Report to me in my office within a candlemark." She hung up the tunic on a hook in the wardrobe and crossed to the door.   
  
"Once again girls, welcome to the Collegium." With those parting words, Forie left.   
  
The girls sat still for a moment, then Rena collapsed on the bed, legs facing her sister. "That was an ordeal." Came her muffled voice.   
  
"It all happened so fast!" Ria agreed, folding a pair of trews and stooping to set them on a shelf in the wardrobe.  
  
"Do you think Asper, Wyn and Linx will do ok here?" Rena asked, sitting up and folding her own set of trews.   
  
Ria sat back on her heels to look at her sister, a concerned look on her face. "I hope so. I think Linx and Asper will do fine. I'm a little worried about Wyn. He's always been so weak. I really hope this Perrie will treat him well."   
  
"I'm glad I got assigned to the Salle. At least I can see Asper on a regular basis." Rena edged past Ria and set her folded trews in the wardrobe, on the shelf next to Ria's.  
  
"And we'll be able to see Linx when ever we go out to see Naison and Alanar." Ria added, standing up, grabbing a tunic and hanging it on a hook.   
  
:Absolutely.: A deep voice rang in their minds.  
  
:Every time.: added a lighter feminine voice.  
  
The girls' eyes grew wide. :You can talk to us from way out there?: Ria asked.  
  
:Sure. It's a little hard but it will get easier as the bonds grow.: Alanar answered.  
  
:Will it get easier to talk to you Alanar?: Rena asked. :I can hardly hear you.:   
  
:It should. I'm not really talking to you, but talking through your and Ria's link.:   
  
:We're linked? So I can talk to her like I'm talking to you?: Rena looked hard at Ria. :Can you hear me?: she Sent to her twin.  
  
:Yeah. Wow, I didn't know we could do that!.:   
  
:This is going to come in handy!:  
  
:Enough with the chatter girls. You have things to do, people to see.: Alanar gently admonished.  
  
:Yes Ma'am!: Ria sent back playfully.  
  
Rena hung up her tunics and grabbed her robe off her bed and started to undress. Ria did the same.   
  
Slipping on her robe and tying the belt securely, Ria opened the door to their room and stepped into the hall. A blond girl was walking into a room a little ways down the hall but didn't see them.  
  
"This is the bathing room, right?" Ria asked Rena, who had come up behind her.   
  
"I think so... Go in." Ria pushed open the door and smiled at the steam poring from the doorway. She walked in and picked out her tub.   
  
~*~*~  
  
"Ahh, I love being clean!" Ria spun around the room, robe flipping up at the ends. Her wet hair splattered the walls with droplets of water. Rena laughed at her sister's behavior. She wrung the towel wrapped around her long hair to remove most of the water.   
  
"It's half-past. We should hurry." Ria stripped off her robe, slung on her underclothes and threw on her new uniform.   
  
Rena did the same, smoothing her wet hair down with her hairbrush. They had slung their packs in the corner of the room. It was too late to unpack them at the moment. Ria went over to the mirror to wind up her hair and dropped the heavy dark copper coil as she caught sight of her reflection. The gray color didn't really work well with her skin tone, but that didn't matter.  
  
"Rena? Come here for a second." Ria said, standing spellbound in front of the mirror.   
  
"What is it?" Rena asked, walking over to the mirror with the brush. She stood behind her twin.   
  
"Look at us. We're Herald Trainees! We're actually going to be Heralds! Real ones, not the kind in stories. Real, live Heralds."  
  
Rena's hand froze in her hair. "You're right. We're going to be Heralds!"  
  
:And Alanar and I showing up didn't kind of signal that fact?: Naison butted in.  
  
:Well, yeah, but...:  
  
:I know. It's just sinking in. Go to Forie. She's expecting you. Ison tells me that she's a stickler for punctuality.:  
  
:Thanks.:  
  
Rena twined her hair up into a tight bun and tucked the ends into the bun. Ria pulled back the top section of her hair and tied it back with a piece of twine. Smoothing out her tunic, Rena set the hairbrush down on her bed and opened the room door. Taking a deep breathe, she stepped out, calling to her sister, "Let's go!"  
  
They walked quietly down the hall, and down the stairs. They walked past Heria's room and stood in front of Forie's office door.  
  
"This is it!" Ria said, eyes growing wide.   
  
Rena bit her lip and knocked three times on the door.   
  
"Enter."  
  
Ria opened the door and walked inside. The room was spacious, with a large oak desk under the window. Two hardbacked chairs sat in front of the desk. A large blue and silver tapestry of Valdemar's crest hung on the left wall, a map of Valdemar, as well as the surrounding countries, opposite it. Candle sconces lined the walls at close intervals. A large oil lamp sat on the corner of Forie's desk. There was a blue and gray woven rug on the floor. Forie sat in the chair behind the desk and motioned for the girls to take seats.  
  
"I see you've had your baths. Feel better?" Forie leaned forward on her elbows, finger linked under her chin.  
  
"Much." Ria said, rubbing the arms of the chair nervously.   
  
Forie sat up and nodded, "Good. We have much to discuss. Have you had any schooling?" she asked, looking at Rena.  
  
"No."  
  
"None?"  
  
"Not that I can remember. We've been on our own since we were seven." Rena's hands on the chair arms were white at the knuckles.   
  
"All right." Forie pulled a flat ledger that was sitting open on the desk in front of her closer. she plucked a quill from the holder and wrote a long line on a clean page.   
  
"Basic reading, figuring, writing, first aid and equitation should do for a while. Heria has already assigned you chores." she noted this as well. "Now what have Naison and Alanar told you about your Gifts?"  
  
Ria and Rena looked at each other carefully. Rena bit her lips, signaling silence. Ria shook her head slightly. Rena glared at her and looked away.  
  
"They didn't tell us anything about our Gifts." Ria said truthfully, "We found out about them on our own."  
  
"Very well. What can you do?"  
  
Rena stood up quickly and forced her hand through the desk top next to the ledger, the wet ends of her hair leaving marks on the wood as they slid across. "This."  
  
Forie's eyes widened as she stared at Rena's imprisoned hand. "Can you pull it out?" she asked softly, reaching toward the hand.  
  
Rena removed her hand from the desktop and narrowing her eyes in concentration, forced together the edges of the wood. It came together with a slight, but noticeable seam.  
  
Forie gulped as Rena sat back down. Ria stood, silently waiting for Forie's inevitable question.  
  
"I'm afraid to ask." she finally said, looking at Ria. Taking a deep breath she asked, "What can you do?"  
  
Ria put up her hands and froze her. The candle flames stopped dancing, as well as the slight waving of the feather in the quill. Ria walked behind the desk and stood at the side of the frozen Forie. Rena walked to the front of the desk. She nodded to her twin and Ria flung out her hands and unfroze the room. Forie jumped out of her chair, knocking it backwards as she saw Ria's new position. She backed into the wall.   
  
"How- How did you...?" she stammered, hand to her heart.  
  
"I stopped time. Rena?" she looked at her twin pointedly. Rena seized a crystal paperweight from Forie's desk, threw it into the air towards the office door and took a step back. Amid Forie's cry of "Don't!", Ria froze the crystal. It hung in the air as if it was tied to the ceiling.   
  
Forie slowly walked around the desk and moving her hands around the paperweight, surmised that Ria had indeed stopped it from falling. She cupped her hands under the paperweight and Ria unfroze it, letting it drop into Forie's hands. She slowly turned.  
  
"I was going to stick you both into standard training classes. I figured you probably had Mindspeech in some degree-"   
  
"We do." Rena interrupted.  
  
Forie went on as if she hadn't heard her, "- and maybe Fetching, but this-" she waved the hand clutching the paperweight at the desk, "-this is not standard." She plunked the paperweight down on the desk and set her hands on her narrow hips.  
  
"Come girls. We have a visit to make."  
  
"To whom?"  
  
"Queen's Own Herald Chaviva."  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Reviewer Response Time!!  
  
Akennea: I will~  
  
faeborn2930: Thanks Lyds! Here's another helping for ya!  
  
Darkfyre: It will get more so! *raises eyebrows suggestively*  
  
Next: How do you solve a problem like Maria - erm, Rena and Ria 


	9. What to do

In Time and Space  
  
By Kierseth   
  
Disclaimer: Emerald Flame and I own Rena and Ria and various other characters. Anything you recognize from Mercedes Lackey's books, we DO NOT own.  
  
Muse: Emerald Flame  
  
Thoughts  
  
:Mindspeech:  
  
"Normal Speech"  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Forie bustled the girls down the hallway towards the Palace, getting more upset with every step.   
  
"This is impossible. No, t-this can't be right. New Gifts? No." she kept muttering, pulling Ria by the wrist. Rena kept right on her heels.   
  
:Is she hurting you Ria?: Rena asked via Mindspeech, hands balled into fists.  
  
:No. She's just shocked. I suppose it isn't every day someone waltzes into the Collegium with the power to stop time.: Ria glanced back at the red-faced Rena. :Calm down. You're beet red.:  
  
Rena swallowed and made a conscious effort to calm herself. She felt Naison send calming waves down their new Bond. Ahead of her, Forie blew through a heavy guarded door, paying no attention to the men standing watch. This hall was a lot more ornate than the previous. The walls were carved in relief; cantering Companions with flowing manes, majestic Heralds with bold stares. The floors were lined with thick dark blue plush rugs. The doors were made out of warm golden oak.   
  
:Wow. This must be the Palace.: Ria Sent back to her sister.  
  
:It's beautiful.: Rena agreed.  
  
Forie slid to a stop in front of a closed door and rapped loudly, calling "Chav! Chaviva are you in there?"  
  
The door swung open to reveal a middle-height, brown-haired, youngish woman. She looked a little startled. "Forie, what is the matter! Good grief, you sound as if the Hounds of Hell are on your heels!" She swung the doors open to admit the little group.   
  
Forie stumbled inside, collapsing into a chair and running her fingers through her hair. Ria and Rena followed more demurely and stood in the corner close to the door. Herald Chaviva closed the door and walked behind her desk to take a seat.   
  
The room was laid out much like Forie's office. A desk was front and center in the office, with a blue-on-white rug laid out in front. The usual tapestry of Windrider was on the left wall with a gigantic map of Valdemar and the surrounding countries covering the wall behind the desk. Low bookcases were under the tapestry and a hearth with two low ottomans on each side was on the facing wall. The room was a little surprising coming from the sumptuous hallway.  
  
"Now what has gotten you all riled up Forie?" Chaviva laced her hands and leaned forward in a listening posture.   
  
"T-t-them", was all Forie could say.   
  
"What about them?" Chaviva looked at the girls. "You two must be Rena and Ria." At the girl's startled looks, Chaviva chuckled. "Naison and Alanar had a nice little chat with my Gwydion after you two showed up. And you can calm down. You aren't going to be lynched. I don't know what you girls did to upset Forie up like this-" she motioned to Forie, who was leaning back in the chair with her eyes closed, "-but it must have been something." She turned back to Forie with a little amused smile.  
  
"Forie, what happened."  
  
"Show her!" Forie gasped, looking straight into Rena's eyes.  
  
Rena took a deep breath and stepping across the room to the back wall, behind Chaviva's desk, she forced her hand into the stone wall. This time her hand sunk slowly. Stone was much harder to manipulate than wood. Chaviva stared hard as Rena's hand sunk into the wall.   
  
"What-" She stood and calmly walked up to Rena. She poked at the stone imprisoning Rena's hand. It was solid. "What is this?" she asked Rena.  
  
"I can manipulate matter." Rena said, expressionlessly. She pulled her hand out of the stone and sealed the gap. Chaviva prodded the wall where Rena's hand had been. "This is new." she said simply, then turned to Ria.  
  
"And you can...?" she left the sentence hanging.   
  
Ria glanced at Rena, who grabbed a small stone stature of Windrider off the desk and tossed it in the air. Forie cringed a little as the statue rose. Ria threw out her hands and the statue froze. This time, so did Forie.   
  
"What happened to her?" Chaviva asked, ignoring the statue and going to Forie. She waved her hand in front of Forie's staring eyes.  
  
"She's frozen." Ria said, "I can stop time and now she and the statue are frozen."  
  
"But what about Rena? She was closer to you than Forie?" Chav glanced at Rena, who shrugged, clearly not frozen.   
  
"For some reason it doesn't work on her. Maybe it's because we're twins." Ria glanced at the statue and Rena plucked it out of the air. Ria then shook her hands again and Forie recoiled from Chaviva, who to her, had appeared in front of her.   
  
"What happened? She did that... thing... to me didn't she?" Forie scrambled out of the chair and backed into the corner.   
  
"Forie." Chaviva turned stern, "They are not to be feared. They just have new Gifts. They are trainees like all the others you've handled. Now calm yourself." Chaviva used her little smidge of empathy to soothe the freaked woman. Forie slowly stood straighter and looked calmer. "Now. Let's sit down and calmly discuss the situation." Chaviva pulled up the ottomans so the girls could sit down. They were a little low, but the best Chav could do.  
  
"Girls, I'll tell you, this is most unusual. We've had odd and rare Gifts crop up before, but new ones? Totally unheard of." Chaviva rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands.   
  
"You will have to get some kind of training; I don't know who to place you with. What other Gifts do you have?"  
  
"Mindspeech that we know of. Other than that...?" Rena shrugged.   
  
"OK. I'll place you with Herald Lark for the Mindspeech training, and I'll take on training your... other Gifts myself." She paused, reflecting. "It might be a good idea to keep your other Gifts under wraps for a while, until we can figure them out. Sound good Forie?"  
  
The other woman nodded, still a little upset, but regaining her composure.   
  
"That's settled. I'll take you tow to Lark to introduce you. Come girls." Chaviva stood and walked around the desk. She placed a gentle hand on Forie's shoulder. "Forie? Why don't you go take a nap?"  
  
Forie rose and a little unsteadily, walked out of the office.  
  
Chaviva looked kindly at the worried girls. "She will be fine. She doesn't get upset often, but when she does, it's big."   
  
"Can we do anything to help her?" Ria asked.  
  
Chav frowned. "No I don't think so. Just leave her alone for a while. Don't avoid her, but don't go out of your way to talk to her. She'll snap out of it in her own time."   
  
Chaviva walked out of the office and headed back into the Heraldic Collegium, greeting the guards as she passed. Soon they were back at the intersection of the wings.   
  
"That direction is the kitchens, where I think you've been, the Trainee's wing is up there, and this way are the classrooms. We'll some of them." she added cryptically.  
  
They walked down another hallway, just like the rest of the Collegium and stopped at a door. Chav knocked and walked inside without waiting for an answer.   
  
"Hello Lark." she said, containing several small desks, four Trainees in gray and a tall, thin man with thinning silver hair.   
  
"Heyla Chav. What brings you to my class?" Lark opened his arms in a mocking bow. The students continued working.   
  
"I wanted to introduce you to your new students." she waved for the girls to walk up behind her, This is Rena and Ria. They will be starting your class tomorrow."   
  
:Greetings ladies.: a deep masculine voice resounded in the girls' minds. Ria started a little. Lark smiled at her.  
  
"Not used to your Mindspeech? No matter. Soon, it will be second nature." He turned to Rena. "I didn't scare you?"  
  
"I don't scare easily." she said, belligerently.  
  
"Rena." Ria warned under her breath. Lark grinned at the hostile girl. "Good for you." He turned to the class, who had abandoned all pretense of working. "Everyone, these are our new students. Ria and Rena. They will be joining us tomorrow. Please introduce yourselves."  
  
A short boy in front, about 16 years old, stood and grinned at the pair. "Heyla. I'm Jarrik, Chosen by Winston. Welcome!" He sat back down and looked at a blond girl seated at his left.   
  
Rena nodded to the boy. "Nice to meet you."  
  
The blond girl stood, crossing her hands in front of her. She looked about 16. "Hi. I'm Celia, Chosen by Marienne. Welcome to the Collegium." She took her seat and nudged the dark boy next to her as Ria gave her a smile of greeting. He pulled his nose out of the book he was reading and glanced up at the girls. The 17-year-old, black haired boy looked a little taken aback, but quickly shook it off.   
  
"I'm Kent, Chosen by Reigon. Nice to meet you both." He sat back down, and went to read again, but was pulled aside by a sharp featured brunette seated next to him. "Their names are Rena and Ria, Worm." she laughed cruelly when he flushed.   
  
"That's enough Marisa." Lark said sharply. Ria smiled kindly at the embarrassed boy, "Hello Kent."  
  
The haughty girl looked at the teacher and visibly stifled a sneer. She tossed back her hair and appraised the girls. "My name is Marisa Kinneister. I was Chosen by Isadore." Her eyes flicked up and down the girls' attire. "Welcome." she greeted snidely, cocking a highly arched eyebrow. She sat back down.   
  
Rena bared her teeth at the girl. "Nice to meet you." she growled, eyes narrowed. Marisa sneered back.  
  
Lark looked back at the girls, missing Rena's glare. "There you have them. We will have class this time tomorrow. Please be here on time."  
  
"I'm sure they will be Lark. I'll send over the rest of the schedule. I believe it will be almost the same as yours Celia. Could you show them around?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
"Good. I'll send over the page later on this evening."   
  
"I'll be here. Good to see you again Chaviva." With that, Lark turned back to the class.  
  
Chaviva herded the girls out the door. Rena looked back over her shoulder as she left and caught two glances. Kent, who was looking at Ria with a studious look on his face, and Marisa, who was glaring at Rena's back. As she caught her eye, she startled, but recovered quickly and stared daggers at her. The door cut off the glaring match.  
  
~*~*~   
  
Chaviva left them at the stairs to the Trainee Wing.  
  
"Go get some rest girls." she glanced at a markcandle set in a nook in the wall. "Or go see Alanar and Naison. It isn't that late yet. They'll show you how to find the Field." she gave them a warm smile. "Don't worry. Everything will work out. I'll see you tomorrow. Just come to my office."   
  
Ria turned to Rena as Chaviva walked off. "Whew! That Marisa girl is something else."  
  
"I'd say." Rena cracked her knuckles menacingly. "She'd better not start anything."  
  
"Rena!" Ria was appalled, yet not surprised. "It's our first day! Please don't start any fights yet."  
  
"I won't. Start any, that is."   
  
Ria rolled her eyes at her sister's teasing, then sat on the granite steps. "What do you think of that Kent guy?"  
  
"Seemed shy. A real book nut. He could hardly pry his face out of it long enough to greet us!"  
  
"I guess..." Ria's voice trailed off.   
  
:Are you coming to visit or what?: Naison said in their minds.   
  
Ria jumped. She still wasn't used to voices in her head.  
  
:Ison told us that you were coming to see us. Are you coming?: Alanar continued from Naison.  
  
:We're coming. Come on Ria.: Rena grabbed her sister's hand and yanked her up. They started down the hallway to the door they had entered from.   
  
:We'll be out here waiting. We'll show you where the Field is.: Alanar said.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Reviewer Response Time!!  
  
Akennea- Thank you and I will!  
  
etcetera-cat- Thanks much -cat! High praise from the -cat who knows all that. Sorry, in a rhyming mood! I'm trying!!  
  
*proceeds to flip out*  
  
Sorry. Lost my head for a moment.   
  
Whoa! I've got Happy Feet!  
  
*slinks away*  
  
Senashenta- We'll be seeing more of the boys, I think. I like Rena a lot. She seems kind of Saet-like somehow. I wonder why? /sarcasm I'm not sure exactly when it takes place yet, but on rereading Evolution, it does seem to match up pretty well. *waves hands over crystal ball* I foresee... a Crossover? 


	10. First Day

In Time and Space  
  
By Kierseth   
  
Disclaimer: Emerald Flame and I own Rena and Ria and various other characters. Anything you recognize from Mercedes Lackey's books, we DO NOT own.  
  
Muse: Emerald Flame  
  
AN: Sorry for the long time between posts. Writer's block attacked me (and still hasn't left, as you probably can tell). Review and tell me how crappy this chapter is!!   
  
Thoughts  
  
:Mindspeech:  
  
"Normal Speech"  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Ria woke and jumped out of bed. She didn't know where she was. The bed was too soft and warm for home. She was on her feet before she had fully opened her eyes. The sight of the plain room greeted her, lit by the gray light of early morning.   
  
"What? What?" Rena sat up, startled by Ria's sudden movement in the room.   
  
"Nothing," Ria said, looking about the room in recognition, "I just forgot where I was."  
  
"Oh," Rena pushed her tangled hair out of her face, "I woke up a dozen times last night thinking this had all been a dream."  
  
Ria pinched herself. "It isn't."   
  
Rena grinned, "I know" she said, rolling up the left arm of her nightgown and showing Ria a line of dark bruises, "I did that every time I woke up!"  
  
The twins grinned at each other for a moment, then started to get ready for their first day at class.  
  
Naison and Alanar had been waiting outside the door when the girls emerged and had led them to the Field. They hadn't ridden, since neither of them knew how yet. The lush emerald grass had shone with early dew and the trees had glimmered in the red-gold light of the setting sun. They had walked about the Field for a while, until Alanar had judged that Ria had yawned once too many and herded them to bed. They would meet Lynnes later, since he was already asleep, tuckered out from a hard day of playing. The girls had fallen into bed, drifting off into sleep the instant their heads had it their pillows.  
  
Ria grabbed the hairbrush and started to untangle her hair. "I should really sleep with it braided; It'd be so much easier to take care of that way."  
  
Rena was struggling with her own tangled locks and a ragged comb. "I agre-Ooow!" she exclaimed, releasing the comb and letting it dangle, caught in a vast snarl of hair. "I give up. I'll just go to class like this."  
  
"Here, let me help," Ria attacked the snarl with the hairbrush, having tamed her own copper tresses. Ten minutes later, Rena's hair was presentable.   
  
"What do you do in the night? Backcomb your hair?" Ria was stunned at the about of hair that was caught in the hairbrush.   
  
"I guess!" Rena pulled off her nightgown and slipped on the tunic from the night before.   
  
Ria dressed quickly and was starting to make up her bed when there came a tentative knock at the door.  
  
"Who could that be?" Ria asked, as Rena slipped a stiletto from under her mattress and crept towards the door.  
  
"Rena! You won't need that! We're in the middle of the Collegium!"  
  
"Just hush."   
  
Rena stood up against the door and asked, "Who is it?" in a harsh tone.   
  
"It's Celia," came the quiet answer, "It's time to go to breakfast, if you want to eat before classes."  
  
Rena sighed and slipped the stiletto in her right boot. Ria bustled past her to open the door and welcome the girl in, shooting an annoyed look at her twin as she did so. "Hi Celia. Thanks for showing us the way."   
  
The blond girl stood there in Trainee Gray, hands laced in front of her, biting her lip. "No problem." she said shyly.   
  
Ria grabbed her and Rena's cloaks, not knowing where all of the classes would take place. She ushered Rena out the door and closed it behind them.  
  
"Where too first?" she asked the quiet girl.   
  
Celia pulled a small piece of parchment out of her pocket, "Lark gave this to me just before class let out last night. Herald Chaviva had sent it to him. It's your schedules." she explained. She squinted slightly at the paper, trying to make out the writing in the rather dim light of the hallway. "It says you have History and Arithmetic first, with Herald Tison and Herald Jonce then you meet with Chaviva. Lunch. After that it's a free candlemark, chores and Equitation just before dinner. After dinner is Mindspeech. That's all."  
  
"That's ALL?" Rena asked, indignant, "Holy Stars! That's enough for the week, let alone a day!"  
  
"My schedule is pretty close to that. I don't have Arithmetic or History anymore, but I have Religions and Politics. Everything else is pretty much the same."  
  
"How do you find time to sit down!?"  
  
Celia chuckled lightly, "You get used to it."  
  
~*~*~ The trio sat down to a hearty breakfast of buns with honey, pottage and cider or chava to drink. Celia pointed them in the direction of their History and Arithmetic classes, which luckily for them were next door to each other, then hurried off to her own classes, promising to meet them at lunch.   
  
Herald Tison was boring. The subject, History, was interesting enough for the girls, who had never heard of how their own country had come to be, but he had a voice that was like the droning of bees on a hot day; dry and neverending.   
  
It eventually did end though and they hurried off to Arithmetic. Herald Jonce was a little better than his good friend Tison, but the material was harder. The girls had never used numbers beyond their daily intakes of coin, so learning how to figure the time it would take to get to Ashkevron Manor from the Palace on Companion-back was certainly beyond them. Jonce asked Kent, who was in their class, to tutor them. He managed as long as his mind was totally on teaching them math. As soon as he looked at them, he turned into-  
  
"A blithering idiot." Rena said, walking out of the classroom and looking at Kent's hurrying back ahead of them.  
  
"He is not." Ria said hotly, defending the bumbling boy, "He's just not used to talking, I think. he seems more at home in a book than with people."  
  
"That's for sure. He could hardly look at us without um-ing and er-ing every other word. The- um... speed of the- er- Companion depends on the- uh...", she shook her head, "I wanted to talk for him!"  
  
Ria shot her sister an indescribable look and increased her pace. Rena, confused, asked a group of passing students, "What did I do?"  
  
~*~*~  
  
Rena finally caught up with her sister at the door to Chaviva's office. Ria glanced uncertainly at her twin, then rapped on the door.  
  
"Come in!" came the bright call.  
  
Ria opened the door to find Chaviva bent over a long piece of parchment. The long window was open to let in the breeze and the end of the parchment fluttered softly. The woman looked up and stretched when she saw the girls.  
  
"Hello ladies. How were your first classes?"  
  
"Boring." Rena blurted out.  
  
"Rena!" hissed Ria, jabbing her twin in the ribs with her elbow.  
  
"What? They were." Rena shrugged and rubbed the place where Ria's elbow had hit her.   
  
Chaviva watched this exchange, biting her lip to keep from laughing. "Jonce and Tison can be a little... dull, but their good teachers. You'll learn a lot from those two."  
  
"How to make a room fall asleep in two minutes flat?" Rena shot back.   
  
Chaviva's features hardened a little. "Now that's enough of that. They are respectable Heralds and that kind of remark is out of hand. There will be no more of that, am I understood?" Her voice was soft, but laced with steel.   
  
Rena wilted a little. She knew just how far to push it. "Yes ma'am." she replied.   
  
"Good. Now down to business. Do you know how you control your Gifts? Or is it random?"  
  
"It's a bit of both." Ria replied this time, "If I'm startled or scared, it just happens." she flicked her hands for emphasis and the end of the parchment froze.  
  
Chaviva plucked at it and sent Ria a look. The girl flushed a delicate pink and unfroze the end. Chav glanced at Rena.  
  
"It depends on the object. If it's something really hard, like stone or iron, then it takes some concentration. If it's woven or has a grain, like fabric or soft woods, it's really easily. I have to focus to reach through something hard, but soft things tend to happen on their own." The look on Chaviva's face let Rena know that she did not need a demonstration.   
  
"We're going to have to work on the surprise factor, Ria. We can't have you freezing people all over Haven if they startle you."  
  
"How? Follow me around the Collegium, sneak up behind me and scare me?"  
  
Chaviva sighed, at a loss. "I don't know, to tell you the truth. I've never had to deal with a situation like this before. We will think of something." She sat back in her chair and steepled her fingers. "These powers will be extremely useful, I believe. Think of it. Ria you can stop time. If an arrow is shot at the Queen, you can stop it without any injuries. Rena you could be an incredible spy. No one would be able to pen you up. You could just go through the wall." Chaviva paused, "Can you go through walls?"  
  
"I don't know. I've only opened holes large enough to put my hand through." Rena stood, "Do you want me to try?"  
  
"Not now dear. Sit back down. I think we'll wait for a while to see of your Gifts settle a bit. I know from experience that Gifts tend to be erratic during times of stress, and settling in here definitely is stressful." She took a deep breath and gently projected calm. "Can you tell me about your history? How those lovely boys came to be with you?"  
  
Rena immediately bristled, "Why?" she demanded.  
  
"I like to know the histories of all the Heralds and Trainees. It helps me to know where to place them on Circuit and when there is trouble."  
  
Ria sighed and dropped into a chair. " Ok, fine."  
  
Rena sat down and put her head in her hands.  
  
~*~*~*~ Reviews!  
  
wizard116- Thank you. My good friend Emerald Flame came up with Rena's gifts.  
  
Avatre - Here's some more *dollops helping onto plate*  
  
random reader- You're right. hmm have to come up with something to fix that. Thanks for the tip  
  
oceanmate - Thanks! Here ya go! Fresh new chapter for ya!  
  
Averon- I like picking on Forie. *giggles maniacally*  
  
Hexe - Ya should. I'm not sure what I'm gonna do with them yet.  
  
Kathleen- I won't!  
  
Fireblade K'Chona- Vote taken!  
  
Senashenta- Just a thought 


	11. Revelations

In Time and Space  
  
By Kierseth   
  
Disclaimer: Emerald Flame and I own Rena and Ria and various other characters. Anything you recognize from Mercedes Lackey's books, we DO NOT own.  
  
Muse: Emerald Flame  
  
Muse's Note: haha I'm reading the chapter now, and I CAN'T WAIT!!!! I have a quick thanks to all those who have followed this story since the beginning, a huge round of applause! To those that continue to join our little FFF (FanFicFollowers), an equally big round of applause!   
  
And.....drumroll....to the one who has kept this amazing fanfic going, the great.....KIERSETH!!!!!!!!!  
  
thunderousapplausewithsplatteringofglomps lol  
  
THANKS ALL!!! end Muse's note  
  
AN: Ummm... thanks for that Flame! On to the Story!  
  
:Mindspeech:  
  
"Normal Speech"  
  
::"::  
  
"Are you certain that nothing will happen to the boys if we tell you? Some of the things we've done aren't exactly... legal." Rena asked fiercely.   
  
"Herald's honor." Chaviva swore, placing a hand over her heart, on her Whites.   
  
Rena shot her twin a look, :Ok. Tell her.:  
  
"Mother was a teacher," Ria began, settling into her chair. "Da was a trader, a good dozen years older than mother. She gave up her job in Deercreek to go with him on his travels. A year after they were married, we were born." She smiled at her twin. "They certainly had their hands full with us. I just wish they could see us now. Herald Trainees." She shook her head.  
  
"What happened?" Chaviva pressed gently.  
  
"We were on a run, just outside of Haven. Rena and I were little, seven or so. Bandits hit the wagon and Mother told us to hide. We ran into the woods and hid inside a rotting log. We stayed there until we smelled smoke. When we left, the bandits were gone, the wagon was burning and Mother and Da were dead." Tears dripped onto her folded hands. Rena put a comforting arm around her twin.   
  
"We went into Haven and begged for food and coins and the like." Rena continued the tale. "We managed to get by like that. We slept where we could, ate when we had coin or stole it. Not the best times."  
  
Ria picked up the line, "We came upon Asper six years ago. He was sleeping under an overhang that had looked comfy. He defended it like a wildcat." she smiled at memory. "He was seven, big for his age and had been thieving since he was able to walk. His mother was a... um... lady of the night-" she said diplomatically, "and she had died when he was small of... work-related illness. He showed us the tricks of the trade, and we soon surpassed our teacher. We were slimmer and quicker, so we mainly pick-pocketed. Once we got older, we started hitting houses."  
  
"I found Linx out one night, about five years ago. He tried to pick my pocket in a crowd. He didn't have the knack for it yet, and I dragged him into an alley to confront him. Instead, we adopted him. Or rather, I did and Rena lived with it." Rena rolled her eyes, but kept silent.   
  
"Asper found Wyn three years ago. He was hiding in an abandoned house. His mother had just died of a fever, and he had run away-"  
  
"His father beat him and his mother was his only defender." Rena broke in, ill-temper flashing in her green eyes.   
  
"It's amazing he made it that far. You saw how small he is-" Chaviva nodded, "-he was about half that size when Asper all found him. We all moved into the building and that's where we've been until now."  
  
"How did your powers start to manifest?" At the girls' blank look, she explained, "How did they start? What made you think that something weird was going on?"  
  
"Oh. It was Rena. Asper had told her of a man who had just made a decent sale of wolf pelts and was clanking a little too loudly.  
  
"I went to his house and broke in. The lock wouldn't give to the picks, but when I set my hand on the lid, I felt it give. I pushed harder and the lid changed. Like what I did with the wall, but easier. I grabbed the coins, pushed the lid back together and ran." she sat still for a moment, then added. "No That wasn't the first time. When I cut that guy's purse." she turned to her sister. "Remember? The guy with the 'cut-proof' leather? That must have been my powers starting."  
  
"I think you're right." Ria agreed.   
  
"What about you Ria?" Chav asked.  
  
"I had heard that a woman was going to be out of the city for a while and there was gonna be a sale of her jewelry. We thought to spare her the misery of deciding what to sell and help her with the decision." Ria said, a little grin starting in the corner of her mouth. "We had slipped into her house and broke into the room she was hiding her jewels. It was amazing. I've never seen so much stuff in my life. We were examining it when this woman-"  
  
"A servant woman." Rena broke in quickly, sending a warning look to her twin. Ria looked confused for a second, but got the hint. Chaviva also caught the look, but let it slide with a slight narrowing of her eyes.  
  
"A servant woman walked in. I was... um... startled and froze her. Scared me and Rena, I tell ye. We dropped the stuff and lit out." Ria also kept her mouth shut on the ring. Something told her that it was going to be important.   
  
Chaviva nodded and sat back in her chair. "Did you have any aunts or uncles? Were your mother's parents still alive?"   
  
Rena shook her head. "Mother was an only child and Da's parents had died years before he ever met her. It's just us."  
  
"Ok. I think that's enough for the day. Go have some lunch girls and I'll see you tomorrow. Thank you for telling me your story."  
  
The girls rose and left the room, with a smile from Ria and a slightly suspicious look from Rena. Outside the heavy door, Ria turned to her sister.  
  
"What was that about?"  
  
Rena put on an innocent face. "What?"  
  
"You know what. Why didn't you want me telling Herald Chaviva about the Dark Lady?"  
  
"I... I don't know." Rena said, twisting the hem of her Grays unconsciously. "I just don't want her to know."  
  
"That's not right Rena. She's the Queen's Own! She should know!"  
  
"Just drop it Ria!" This time it was Rena who stormed off and left Ria confused.   
  
::"::  
  
I know, I know. It's short, but that seemed like a good spot for the end of a chapter.   
  
Sorry! I hope it answered some of your questions.  
  
Reviewer Thankies Time!!  
  
BadExample- Thanks!  
  
Freewriter77- I'll try!   
  
cant get logged in- Another reviewer brought that up too. bad Kierseth Hope this kinda puts it back into normalcy.  
  
wizard116- The bad thing is, it wasn't really! There are a few things that are in there that I'm planning on using, but it wasn't really necessary.   
  
Neko-Li- I have a pair of twins as cousins. I love 'em! huggles to MiA and Kahlie!  
  
Emerald Flame- That's the way you wrote her, so I'm continuing with it. Lookie! New Chappie!  
  
PrettyKittyOreo- it must be. It just won't go away!!   
  
faeborn2930- Thanks Lyds! 


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